Another End, Another Beginning

So it's been over two years now since I've had this blog. I honestly never imagined that it would last this long, even though I admit I've been rather lax with it lately. Still, I've never "successfully" kept a journal or diary, at least by my standards. Usually they deteriorate to frivolity and reach the point where even I'm too bored to continue writing in it.

By no means am I implying that this blog was anything other than frivolous. It is. But what I mean is that keeping a journal always became so pointless--for myself. I wrote in it because I felt I had to and because of that my writing lacked purpose.

To be honest, I've thought about closing shop here. I feel myself reaching that point; I've felt it for a while now. In fact, maybe I've always felt it. I wanted to blog about life, but I ended up being a lifeblogger. I wanted to offer smart social commentary, on God knows what, but that hardly happened, if at all.

Admittedly, this isn't the sort of writing I really like to do. My inspiration strikes me in the form of dialogue and images. My imagination comes to life in the form of movies, plays, novels. I like stories and I like to share them. Though I enjoy satiric comedy, I'm not witty enough to write biting remarks on politics and current events.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this. Part of me feels like I should stop but when I think about it I realize that I don't want to. So I suppose, maybe for a little longer, I'll keep writing. As boring as it is. As mundane as my life is.

It's just difficult when you have an aversion to the things that make up your material. Or simply the fact that some of those things just aren't appropriate for the public sphere.

Ugh, I need a break. Better yet, another start.

And just as a note, Congrats Class of 2009.

College Con Artistry

We all know private schools enjoy ripping its students off, but here's a story I'd like to share...

So I recently got charged $25 for "room damage." I suppose most people wouldn't think much of it and just pay the fee, but of course that's not acceptable for me (or my roommate). I finally had time to call the housing office today and inquire about the charge, and this is basically how things went:

The secretary says, "So the $25 fee was from a furniture moving charge between you and your roommate for leaving an air conditioner in your dorm."

Without realizing, in a completely bewildered yet skeptical tone I simply reply, " ... an air conditioner??"

She immediately puts me on hold for ten to fifteen seconds.

When she returns she tells me, "Okay, the $25 has been credited to your account."

I was quite confused. That was it? No arguing? The charge was revoked just like that?

I thank her and then report what happened to my roommate.

But yeah, not a very good story but I found the incident rather intriguing. I sincerely hope this was an honest mistake and not a sad attempt to extract more money from BU students. Even so, you have to admit that it was a pretty shitty mistake to make on their part.

A Few Pointers on Being a Complete Ass

You know, I thought it strange that this past year I didn't really find anything ridiculous to blog about. But maybe that was it--I was in Boston, likely one of the most liberal cities in one of the most liberal states. The only crap I had to deal with were Greenpeace treehuggers blocking my path and chasing me down the sidewalk as I'm on my way to class or back home. But in retrospect, they weren't that bad. They weren't malicious. Not like the people I forgot I had to deal with here back home on the so-called traditional Republican stronghold of Long Island.

So I was at Costco with the parents just now and there I encountered the biggest asshole I've seen in a while...

Step 1 - Drive a Hummer. (BONUS POINTS if you make it red.)

Really? You found it necessary to spend X amount of money on an obnoxiously large vehicle that does nothing but piss people off and harm the environment? I'm not telling you to get a hybrid, but come on. And nothing screams the need for attention than getting one in a cherry red color. Well, whatever you're trying to do to show off, it's not working because all I see is stupidity on your part. (Have fun fueling up this summer!)

I'm sorry. Perhaps that seems uncalled for unjustified. I'm sure not everyone who drives a ginormous [red] Hummer is completely selfish and stupid. Let's move on.

Step 2 - Drive that Hummer badly.

Shall we define "driving badly"? How about: driving with a complete disregard for the rules of the road and those around you. I was approaching a stop sign in the parking lot when suddenly he (as in that same guy) turns left from the perpendicular street and cuts into my lane. Fortunately I was going slow and letting pedestrians pass, so I had not yet reached the stop sign when he decided to haphazardly come barrelling down the road. But whatever, I thought that would be the last I saw of him.

Step 3 - Think you're better than everyone else.

There was a Hispanic family beside us as we were leaving. To get our receipts checked, they moved to one person as we moved to the other. Suddenly I here a slow, disgruntled voice say, "So that's it? You walked faster than me just so you could get ahead of me?" I turned to my side and saw a large, redneck-esque man with a disheveled gray moustache, his beady little eyes locked on the family ahead of him. The father of the family turned around with a confused look on his face and of course said, "I don't know what you're talking about," to which the other man so ingeniously responded, "Yeah, I think you do." I stood there and watched with an incredulous look on my face. Racist bastard.

Step 4 - And care only for yourself.

As I pulled out of the parking lot, I saw the same guy leave his cart behind someone else's car and climb into his--you guessed it!--big red Hummer. (It's funny when things come around full circle, no?) What a total and complete asshole.

Oh well. I trust karma to come and send a nice flying kick up his ass.

And there we go!

Prop Shop Stops

Dress the Set With Tears: It's a Wrap

Slideshow here.

Ugh, what a shame. Even Hollywood has a little guy to take the hit. Damn recession.

Until It's Gone

So I just woke up not too long ago to discover that my house was completely empty. Or I didn't really "discover" it since I knew it would be empty, but I felt that lonely feeling you get when you're surrounded by people one moment and then completely alone the next, if you know what I mean.

My brother left for California today--permanently--and I admit that I'm just realizing this now. Yesterday (my family was at a wedding reception), a relative of mine commented how I must be so sad to not see my brother after today, and in response I laughed and told her that there was a period of eight years (college and then dental school) when I rarely saw my brother anyway and that I was used to it.

Maybe it's because California isn't a simple few hours away or maybe it's because it seems like such a foreign land to me (I've never been there), but honestly, I'm already proving myself wrong right now--I'm definitely not used to it. It upsets me now to know that when he came into my room this morning to say goodbye and I half-assedly sat up and hugged him, it was the last time I would see him for a while. I didn't realize that it was different this time. It was a one-way ticket--he wasn't coming back.

Up until today I really wanted to go to Thailand this winter break, but now the other option of visiting my brother in Cali suddenly became so much more appealing. It's true what they say: You don't realize what you have until it's gone.

The Hangover and More

So I had a relatively eventful weekend. I finished a week of classes (one down, eleven more to go), and on Friday I went to go see The Hangover with a group of people. It's definitely not my type of movie, but Kait wanted to see Justin Bartha (whose character is the groom that goes missing). In case you were wondering it's basically every high school/college frat boy's dream experience on the big screen. It was probably the crudest, most ridiculous, and most vulgar thing I've ever seen (especially when the credits roll), but I have to admit that the story was actually put together... quite nicely, surprisingly enough. (Don't get me wrong; it's complete nonsense. But the nonsense makes sense... if that makes sense.)

Anyway, I spent the remainder of the weekend at Robert Moses with Kait and Brit yesterday and at my good ol' local beach with Loo today. Yesterday it was kind of cool for the beach, but today it was perfect.

In other news, this morning when I was running errands with my family I lost my heart-shaped locket. (Loo gave it to me for my 16th birthday, so I was naturally very upset). I spent the entire morning looking for it, and by sheer chance, an hour or two later and after we had driven back (on a whim) to the first place we visited, my dad checked where we had parked before and found it! I was so relieved. Unfortunately, it was flattened slightly so it won't close anymore, but I was grateful that I had it and that it was still intact. I put it away in its little box for now and I'm a little upset that I can't wear it anymore, but I was thinking that maybe I could frame it or something nice like that.

It definitely sucks too since I was actually contemplating wearing a different necklace today. Oh well, I suppose that's life.

Twenty Years Later

Hong Kong Pays Tribute to Tiananmen Protesters While Beijing Stays Silent

Now that's a little sad, don't you think?

Makes me wonder if I should be proud of my heritage or detest it.

Maybe someday...

Parlez-vous français?

I started my "Intensive Elementary French" classes today. They run from 6:00-9:30 PM, Monday through Thursday. Parlez-vous, "Eff my life?"

Though of course, since I've taken french before it's pretty easy so far. It's definitely coming back to me somewhat. Plus the professor seems pretty nice. She let us go early today since not everyone had the book, which was good since it wasn't completely dark out yet and I wanted to make sure I knew how to get home. I probably shouldn't get my hopes up, but it would be nice if she always let us out early (three and a half hours is just ridiculous, n'est pas?).

In other news, my laptop came back to me today, but since I had to leave early to pick up my textbook I wasn't home to receive it. Oh, what a pain...

Slightly Grown Up

So I had to go to work alone today for a meeting since FatMan skipped out for training for his new CUTCO job (I apparently have a few friends who are selling knives now). To be honest, due to various circumstances this was actually my first time driving with no passengers, so I was somewhat paranoid, but I obviously made it through okay and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, it was somewhat empowering being able to control where to go and when to leave. Driving to work and back, making sure everyone had a ride--it's long overdue, but I actually felt somewhat more grown up doing those things, haha.

Anyway, the meeting was as expected. It was good to see the old interns (and by "old" I mean the ones I've met, since I'm one of the oldest interns working there now--scary). They gave me a warm welcome and asked me how college was. The new interns seem nice too... for the most part (according to a trusted friend/coworker, but maybe I should wait to see for myself before letting bias get the best of me). They seem like they'll be competent though, so hopefully this summer will run much smoother than my experiences these past years.

It definitely seems like there's going to be a little more discipline this summer though, not that the prospect of that stopped everyone from screwing around last summer, but honestly the lab could probably use some of it. It should be better this time around though, since the new interns seem like they'll take things more seriously and, not to be conceited or whatever, but I'll be one of the people in charge. As a "college intern," I actually have the authority now to ensure that everyone gets everything done, and I don't have to feel bad or wonder if it's my place to put people in line. I don't think there should be a problem though. Last year, I feel like no one listened to the college intern because he was a stranger to almost everyone (he was very old, and all the interns that would have bridged the age gap didn't return). This year, there's three of us, and we've all worked together before during the year as high school interns, so it should be fine... hopefully.

Oh well. We're just going to have to wait and see. It's my last summer there anyway, so regardless I'm just going to have to make the best of it.

Fatness

The Famous Steak

So my family (meaning my parents, brother, two aunts, and an uncle) and I went out to Peter Luger's Steakhouse in Brooklyn tonight, which has apparently been rated "The New York No. 1 Steakhouse for 24 Years in a Row!" Now, I love food, but of course on my own I don't have the resources (AKA the money or the occasion) to ever visit and eat at such a high profile restaurant, so this was a nice treat.

The steak definitely was very fresh, very tender, and very juicy. It was cooked precisely as ordered, and their famous steak sauce complemented the meat very nicely (naturally). In addition to this, the table also ordered sides of broccoli, creamed spinach, and German fried potatoes. Then for dessert, we all shared a couple of their special "Holy Cow" hot fudge sundaes (which was the definition of "unnecessary indulgence"). Of course it was delicious (half of it was pure hot fudge), but since I have a very sensitive palate, I tend to enjoy foods with more subtle tastes.

But of course I'm not complaining. I left entirely satisfied and with my regret for my waistline saved for tomorrow. I'm not one to count calories or really give a damn about any food's nutritional value, but seriously, with my uncle here (he LOVES to cook) and all the eating-out I've been nothing less than gluttonous lately. There was Legal Seafoods, and I didn't blog about it but on Sunday we threw a graduation/family get-together party for my cousin; the food my uncle cooked was both wonderful and in abundance, and so again I ate everything in sight.

If you don't believe me, on Sunday I conveniently got a WiiFit (which is awesome, by the way) and apparently I weigh the highest I've ever known myself to weigh (it was a difference of almost 10 pounds from my usual weight). Ugh, I hate talking about my weight, dieting, et cetera, especially since it makes me feel like a hypocrite, but it's actually been bugging me enough lately to make me consider watching what I eat. I'm going to hate myself for doing it, but from the health perspective I should be happier in the end.

Memorial Day

I went to the cemetery today.

It's funny how we don't really understand the losses of others, as much as we want to or claim we do.

All we are capable of understanding is what we ourselves, as individuals, have lost. Individually.

I spoke to her grave.

It's amazing how it still hurts.

Boston Again

So I just got back from Boston... again. Yes, as I was riding the all-too-familiar green line I did indeed wonder myself what I was doing in that city again after less than two weeks of leaving it.

Here's how it all went:

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Attend my cousin's graduation from BC Law.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: See as many people as possible.

THURSDAY: Minivan with my cousin's parents and my own mother. Departure at 9:30. Arrive in Chinatown for food, arrive at my aunt's house in New Jersey to pick up this aunt and another. Total number of aunts: 3 plus my mother (and yes, they're all sisters--imagine that car ride). Arrive in Boston at 6:15. After saying hello to my cousin, hopped on the T to meet Izzy for dinner at Uno's. After a very rushed dinner (she had to catch the commuter rail), headed over to Lillian's apartment before heading over to Seabird's (the ex-roomie, I figured it was time to give her a name) apartment for a visit. Headed back and crashed.

FRIDAY: Grabbed lunch from the GSU (it was weird having to use real money, by the way) and headed over to the science building with Lillian to eat with Seabird, Jooles, and other people. Didn't get to enjoy my lunch at all though since my mother can't comprehend basic directions and I had to stay on the phone to make sure the minivan knew where to pick me up. After much frustration, we all headed to the graduation where I baked in the hot sun for two hours. The family was embarrassing of course (and my feet were in horrible pain from my shoes), but I just kept my objectives in mind. Refusing to go back with the family after, I hung out at my cousin's apartment for a bit until dinner. Any frustration definitely subsided at this point though, as we went to Legal Sea Foods at the Pru. Behold:

The appetizer of raw goodness.

The famous New England clam chowder (served at every presidential inauguration since 1981).

My main course: Wood Grilled Assortment.

SATURDAY: Lillian's roommate's boyfriend cooked pancakes for all of us. Then Lillian and I went to the BU Beach to chill for a couple hours before I said goodbye and went to meet my family at the Pru. Had lunch at the Pru. Then headed back home with the cousin in tow, stopping only in Flushing to eat good Chinese food for dinner.

And there you go. Another busy adventure. It's really a shame I didn't get to spend more time in Boston but I guess I just have to enjoy the excitement another time.

By the Sea

A view from the dock.

After a nice dinner at Panera, Loo and I hung out at the harbor for an hour or so. It's a shame this picture can't do the scene justice.

It's times like this when after a bit of traveling, you not only appreciate where you came from, but you finally recognize as well the uniqueness that comes attached with every place on this planet.

This is beauty. This is inspiration. This is my life.

Boston Pops

Williams Surprises Spielberg.

Steven Spielberg is getting an honorary degree from BU.

Sigh, I wish I was at that concert!

I love it when the Indiana Jones music starts up, and I love how they had Rhett there.

Ah, I miss BU already!

Out with the Old

So I finally finished unpacking today, and let me just start by saying that I HAVE SO MANY CLOTHES. They barely manage to fit in my room! Granted, I haven't really grown in five years meaning it's all been accumulating quite possibly since then (not to mention I have limited closet space and half my drawers are filled with athletic wear... not to make excuses or anything). Still, I could probably (definitely) save a lot of money if I just wore what I already owned. I should cut back anyway before I become a true shopaholic... (Darn my appreciation of good fashion.)

Anyway, I went through all my clothes again and pulled out things that don't fit or that I just don't wear. It was a pretty difficult process. Like I said, I haven't really grown so a lot of things still fit... in order to get rid of stuff I had to keep telling myself how much more someone would appreciate the clothes than I would if I just kept them. It worked for the most part, I think.

But yeah, after I was done I moved onto this little corner of my room where I kept some stuff from the college-search process. I remembered that I saved some of the really fancy books schools sent me or that I picked up, just in case anyone I knew was interested and so I could save the branch of a tree. Of course, now that a year has passed, I knew it would be unlikely for someone to ask for them and decided that now was the time to recycle them.

As I was looking through them though, I realized that I had also saved the letters I received from colleges asking me to apply. It was kind of sad really. I remembered why I had saved them: I knew I would never receive letters from these schools again. But on an even deeper level, I knew that I relished that impression I got from them--I loved that sense of feeling wanted.

They wanted me. The Ivies, MIT, Caltech, Georgetown, UChicago... I devoured their emblems with my eyes, savored seeing my name and address printed on their fancy envelopes. I always wondered why I applied to so many reach schools. I realize now: with all these schools begging for your application, wouldn't you have gotten your hopes up too? Wouldn't you have believed that you actually had half a shot at walking on these centuries-old campuses, at having that dreamed-of opportunity finally in your hands?

I don't know. Realistically, I knew from the start that BU was the only school I applied to that fell into the "good-fit" category of colleges for me, and for financial reasons it was last on my list until the scholarship they offered me cinched the deal. And I'm happy at BU. True, I do tend to make the best of things, but I really do feel like I have this sense of belonging.

Yeah, so I don't know why I'm bringing this up. It seems awfully immature of me. I do wonder though if the subconscious has its own way of working--did I know during the application process and all along that BU was the right school for me? Was it a sign when BU was the only college I applied to from my original list of schools? Was the supplement I sent to BU better than the supplements I sent to other schools?

Psh, okay. That's what I'd like to tell myself. I know I just wasn't good enough. I'm over it. With the exception of the BU letter and the letter I received from Harvey Mudd (it's hilarious), I threw the rest in the recycling bin.

Or really I had my mother do it... and I kept all my UPenn stuff of course.

Bye Bye Boston

First off, I suppose I should say Happy Mother's Day since I haven't yet done so (judging from last year's post, I must always be a brat on these occasions).

Secondly, I've been MIA the past two weeks because a) finals and b) my laptop went comatose on me (and I have to admit that the latter reason probably played a bigger role in my absence).

But now that I'm HOME (yes, it's true), I have access to my own computer again and can blog at my leisure.

So let's recap...

(ENTER HELL WEEK!)

Saturday 4/25-Monday 4/27: Spent the gorgeous weekend reading on the BU beach (but didn't finish because it was A LOT). Some drama was in the works too, but I'm not going to blog about it.

Tuesday 4/28: It was late. I had just spent an hour and a half (yes, I know) editing with the columnist. I hadn't eaten and I had my anthro exam the next day to study for. I was just about to send the completed column to the e-mail when--blue screen--the computer crashes. Tried to start it in Safe Mode. Fail. Tried to launch this fix option that popped up next. Fail. Turn on. Turn off. Turn on. Turn off. Remove battery. All that jazz. No luck. Worst. Timing. Ever. Feeling defeated, finally giving up, I discovered the real meaning behind "FML."

Wednesday 4/29: Fell asleep studying for anthro (aside from stress induced by my laptop failing, I hadn't slept properly since Friday night, the 24th). Woke up in the morning to do it but of course it wasn't sufficient enough. Spent the rest of the afternoon finishing up research for my English paper, due the next day. Since my computer crashing didn't actually affect the status of my paper, I decided not to ask for an extension to save face. Napped, went to a meeting, FreePed (oh why am I so dutiful?). Then sat down with my roommate's laptop (thank goodness for her) and typed away.

Thursday 4/30: Of course I pulled an all-nighter. Skipped my final math lecture. Then since I couldn't skip my history class this time, I hijacked the laptop and continued to write my paper during and after class. Didn't eat. Only interruption was to go to my last acting class. Finished the paper at 3 PM. (But at least I was proud of it this time.) Printed it and went to class. Then took the effing BUWA (writing assessment), which I completely BSed since I could NOT come up with a decent thesis. When I was done, I was a bit upset that my English class was over. But anyway, when I got back to the dorm, Lillian (who had a 20-page paper on Uzbekistan due) and I rejoiced that it was all over. Got dinner but didn't appreciate being told to go to bed, so I went to the science building for a few hours simply to hang out (nap) while my roommate was physicsing. When it was late we walked back and I slept the best sleep I had experienced in a while.

Friday 5/1-Wednesday 5/6: So I actually went out with my cousin for the first time all year, and didn't end up returning to her place until 6 AM (wasn't me, I swear). But we had a good time, and since I slept over that first night, I guess I just thought it would be okay to spend another five days there. (Let's just say I was in need of a refuge, and my cousin didn't mind the company.) I spent the weekend writing my history paper (due Monday the 4th at 10 AM, another all-nighter) while she studied for accounting. Then we studied for our math final which was on Wednesday, and afterward I studied for my [unbelievably, unexpectedly hard] anthro final which was on Thursday.

Thursday 5/7-Saturday 5/9: After my anthro final, the sun literally came out. I was done. I packed, watched Mean Girls and Juno, helped Lillian move to South Campus, and said my goodbyes to several people. On Saturday, Saa (my cousin) and I went out to lunch on Newbury with our other cousin (who goes to BC) for the first time this year, and I must admit that when we parted ways I regretted not getting together with her more often.

And there we go. That leads to today, during which I said my final goodbyes to people, underwent the stressful moving-out process, sat five hours in a car back to Long Island, took my mother out to this Italian restaurant, and sat here and blogged. I know that must have been a horribly boring read, but I realized when my laptop died that I really do keep this blog as a record of my life. That's really what it's been all this time; I may have made a few snide remarks about life here and there, but as of the present time, I don't have much to remark about.

After all, it's hard to criticize something you love, and right now I really do love life. It's a wonderful feeling really... to be able to think that this is indeed the place where you belong.

Preparing for Hell Week

So it's been a good few days. Thursday ran on a Monday schedule this week, so I've essentially only had an hour of class (anthro) on each of the past three days. Speaking of which, my anthro professor actually brought in his [lime green] bullwhip like he promised at the beginning of the semester and cracked it at the end of class. You'd think it would be sort of lame, but no--it was freaking awesome. Totally made everyone's day.

In general, I also feel a bit better about my life now since I've gotten my paper topics figured out, and I've gone to the library to take out the books I needed which happened to be as many as I could carry (didn't help that it was raining Wednesday afternoon and my open bag also had my laptop in it). I probably should have taken the T that day, but what's a mile walk with 15 pounds of books and an umbrella tactfully held in your already full hands...

In other news, I helped out with the Honors Program reception today which was nice. I basically just spoke with prospective students and their parents, and I have to admit that I really do enjoy that kind of stuff. In fact, lately I've been thinking about a possible career in education administration, but of course it's just a thought and I'm not worrying about that at all right now. Anyway, I also found out that two other people I know will be living in the Honors House next year, and they're both really cool so I think it will be a good house.

Today I also attended the Freshman Resource Advisor Spring Welcome which was actually pretty fun. We did that icebreaker where you have a picture on your back and you have to guess who you are based on what people tell you. They used Disney characters, and it was cool because the groups were organized by movie as well, so after the initial icebreaker you had to find others who were in your movie and that was your group. Overall it was actually more fun than I expected and everyone seems really nice. Granted, I already knew a lot of the people who are doing it, but I'm definitely excited to be a FRA. I get to have my own litter of Terrier pups! Hah.

Anyway, that said, today is probably going to be my last day of fun for a while. I need to read four books for my English paper this weekend, and I'm already behind schedule (not that scheduling things ever actually works for me). Apart from that, I have an anthro test to study for, a scene to rehearse, and a history paper to write. Ugh!

So here we go! Let hell week begin!

Marathon Monday

Almost there!

I have to admit, the Boston Marathon is pretty cool. They shut down the street, everyone is cheering, and the runners absolutely love it. This picture was taken from Kenmore, so they had a little less than a mile to go from here. Of course, the Kenyans and Ethiopians have already finished by this point, hah.

Boston actually wasn't the shit show I expected it to be today, but then again I didn't get drunk/high myself or really go anywhere far. Apparently, on the way out of CityCo, my roommate was accosted by someone frantically shouting at her to get her hand off the railing (we deduced that he was probably hallucinating something). But other than that, none of us had any obscene encounters.

In other news, the FreeP got word about a murder involving a BU student. The next step was for the news editors to call the assignment editors to get on the story. What happens next is that Coco (who reports for the FreeP but was out at the time) calls Jooles (who's in the dorm with us), and Jooles comes out of her single to tell us that a BU student was murdered (not true) or something along those lines. At first, I think it's a Marathon Monday related incident, but we google it and the national news is reporting that the police have caught the "Craigslist killer" (which was somewhat ironic since we were talking about it last night). In case you're not familiar with a story, some guy has been running around meeting prostitutes he finds on Craigslist and killing them. Creepy, eh? Turns out he's a BU med student, but the details are still fuzzy. I guess we'll get more information on it tomorrow.

But what a way to end the day, right?

Relay for Life

The lights went off. We all stood silent on the track. Listening.

We looked around. There were luminaria lit up all around the track, to symbolize the spirits of those who had lost the battle, to show that they were with us. There were also some in the stands that were arranged to spell out the word "HOPE."

A speech. Then more silence.

If a parent of yours had died, they asked you to crack the glowstick you were given and step forward. The sound of glowsticks cracking filled our ears for a few brief seconds. It was like rain hitting the roof when a lone raincloud passes through. It takes you by surprise. Suddenly loud, then suddenly soft. Then silence again. You could see the yellow light emanate from random places in the crowd. Then the lights moved forward.

If a grandparent of yours had died, they asked you to crack your glowstick and step forward. Eyes down, I squeezed mine in both fists and asked Izzy to come with me. She nodded, cracked hers, and followed me forward.

Aunt and uncles. Other family members. Friends. People.

Eventually everyone stepped forward, demonstrating how it has affected all our lives.

Glowsticks in hand, we proceeded to walk around the track. Round and round. The longer we went, the more dispersed we became. We eventually filled the track, creating a halo of light. It undulated gently as people kept moving forward. Individually, the lights floated like fireflies in a meadow in summer.

I grasped mine close to me. Somehow, it suddenly felt like I was carrying something precious.

Eventually, we deposited the glowsticks in four "luminaria" boxes with cutout designs and words. As the light shone through, one could see that they read: Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back, and Hope. I debated for a moment. Then I placed mine in the second box and continued walking.

As I reached the other side of the track, people were still depositing their glowsticks. It was an interesting sight. There was no longer a halo. Instead, like the luminarias perched around the track, each light in each person's hand became a spirit in my eyes. And as the spirits floated and moved forward, they looked as if they were on a journey, our bodies used as vessels invisible in the darkness. Then as the lights finally disappeared, it seemed as if they had all crossed over. I looked down. We had just escorted the souls of the dead.

Eventually, Izzy and I followed others and removed ourselves from the group. I laid there on the campsite in the company of my teammates and looked up at the ceiling. I listened to the music. Then I closed my eyes as the complex slowly lit up and the event resumed.

Hitting the Town

My cousin and I had a very special visitor come to Boston for a few days. She arrived on Thursday and from then to today we've just been having a blast.

THURSDAY: I had an anthro exam on Friday so it was actually one of those few Thursdays where I wasn't not doing anything, otherwise I would have just hung out with them and had fun. Of course, I didn't let it completely stop me from going out, and so I still enjoyed a [second] dinner at Fin's with them. (I know, I'm a fatty.) But oh, how we love sushi...

FRIDAY: After my class, we took her to the dining hall for lunch where the food was actually quite good (and prospective students were aplenty, which explains it). Then we went out to Newbury and met up with my cousin's friends. We hit a few stores and then went to H&M, which was a bad move on my part since I went on a complete spree through the store. They had to help me decide which things to leave behind! (I am not a shopaholic. Really...) Afterward, we headed out to Quincy Market, which was my first time there since my visit during Orientation week. It was nice this time around though since I got there late last time and the stores were closed by the time I finished dinner. But anyway, we got to walk around inside the buildings (there's so much food, I had no idea!) and see street performers, well, perform. After a couple hours, we headed back to campus to freshen up before heading out to Newbury again for dinner. We ate at this cute little Italian restaurant named Bottega Fiorentina. It was absolutely delicious and decently priced, a place I definitely made note to visit again soon. After dinner, I was going to go back, but my cousin's friend made me go with them to see The Knowing, and I ended up calling a couple of my friends to join us. Let's just say the movie was both ridiculous and intense.

SATURDAY: We went to go get dim sum at the China Pearl in Chinatown, though we left late so my cousin had to leave for her dance lesson before we could all eat. Afterward, I took our guest to the Galleria to go shopping again (where I managed to exercise some restraint). We spent a good few hours there before heading back to campus, where we got Starbucks and relaxed in my dorm until my cousin got back. When she called, we headed over to her place and then out to dinner from there. The three of us and my cousin's friend decided to eat at Shabu Zen, a hotpot restaurant, which was okay but expectedly a little pricey. We did something a bit embarrassing while we were there, but it was funny nonetheless. We went to Super 88 (this Asian marketplace) for bubble tea after, and then we headed back. (Oh, and as a side note, the NCAA hockey finals were last night, and BU won in an AMAZING comeback.)

So yeah, today the four of us had brunch at Bertucci's before she had to head back home. I have to admit, it wasn't as great as I expected, but at least I've finally eaten there. But anyway, after that we finally said goodbye and parted ways, my cousin went with her to South Station, and I went back to my dorm to catch up on work.

And here I am now. Not much different. With the exception that, after this weekend, I am now significantly poorer than before. Oh dear...